Report: Raiders FS Obi Melifonwu visits medical specialist

Raiders safety Obi Melifonwu saw a medical specialist Tuesday according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. The chronically injured second-year pro has been missing in action for much of training camp because of a lower-body injury.

I'm told #Raiders safety Obi Melifonwu is seeing a specialist today regarding his "lower body" injury that's held him out the last week. There's some concern that it could be tied to last year's season-ending hip surgery.

Melifonwu made a name for himself with a freakish athletic showing at the 2017 NFL combine but hasn’t done much since. He had surgery on his knee and his hip during his rookie season, and he played in just five games.

At 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, Melifonwu ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds and posted an incredible vertical jump of 44 inches. His injury has frustrated coach Jon Gruden, apparently enough for the franchise to seek outside help in finding Melifonwu’s health.

If the University of Connecticut product can put himself back together again with the help of the specialist, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will have another chess piece to utilize.

“Obi is a big guy that, when you turn on the tape, you’re like, ‘Who is this son of a gun?’ He’s playing half the field. He’s down in the box, playing the run,” Guenther said in January.